


Hold On, I'm On My Way, Highness

by loveiscosmicsin



Category: FF15, FFXV - Fandom, Final Fantasy 15, Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Drabble, IgNistu, IgNoct, M/M, One Shot, request from tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 04:44:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6940303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveiscosmicsin/pseuds/loveiscosmicsin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I know it hurts, but you have to stay awake.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold On, I'm On My Way, Highness

“i know this hurts, but you have to stay awake.” - IgNoct

Well, this was embarrassing, was among Noctis’ first thoughts when he regained consciousness. He stirred to the harmony of distant calls uttered by the wildlife and the waterfall roaring from across a great distance. He was not fully submerged in the water, he realized, but he was oddly comfortable lying across a bed of rocks. He tried to move only to find himself hissing at the immense agony spreading all over his body. He allowed himself to lie still while the river’s currents lapped languidly at his wounds.

His head throbbed as though he had awoken from a stupor and the sedatives were wearing off. He recalled being engaged in a fight, one between himself and an unknown assailant. The prince had the upper-hand until he found himself out-matched and untrained against the overwhelming odds. Beaten to a pulp and skewered, he was thrown over a bridge and left for dead. Since he had no recollection of how long he had been out, his assassins may have given up on him or were searching for him still. His head lolled off to the side to gawk at the waterfall. It had to be a fifty-something foot drop.

By some miracle or stupid luck, he survived all that.

The Lucii heir attempted to move again, only to fall flat on his stomach, his legs useless and his left arm hung limply at his side. He spat out the water that assaulted his mouth and nostrils before clawing through the loamy, dark soil and dragged himself out of the river. It was an excruciating task, the saturated ground came apart at his hands and it didn’t seem like he was getting any progress in heaving his body to shore.

The wireless earpiece he wore in his ear crackled to life. Fortunately, the perilous descent didn’t damage the technology.

“Highness?” Static blared through the connection but Noctis knew Ignis’ voice anywhere without having to strain through the distraction. “Highness, are you there? Say something if you do.”

“Don’t do this to us, man!” Prompto’s voice came out strangled.

Noctis continued crawling, eyeing a majestic trunk of a tree as a proper place to rest for a moment. He willed his already fatigued body as the dirt painfully shot up his fingernails and calculated that in a few more paces he would meet the tree.

“Do you think his earpiece got lost when he fell?” Gladiolus’s voice chimed in, hesitant as he placed his inquiry.

Propelling himself so that his back could be against the tree, he pressed the jewel of his earpiece. “I’m… I’m here.” He panted, surprised that his response came out hoarse. His Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty when he swallowed.

“Noct! You’re alive!” Prompto rejoiced. Laughter followed the blonde’s interjection.

“That was one nasty fall you took. Knew it’ll take more than that to take you out!” Gladiolus’ laughter soon joined Prompto’s.

“Thank Etro, you’re alive…” Ignis’ relief was evident even over the other men’s celebratory cries. The prince wondered if his advisor bore a smile at the moment, he could envision it. However, the thought didn’t last for long.

Noctis groaned, jerking away from their exclamations. “Guys, that almost took out my eardrum.” It was rather unfortunate that each of them possessed an earpiece that kept the group in the loop without the use of their cell phones. A smile formed on his lips hearing the relief in their voices. What would he do without his friends?

“Where are you?” Ignis inquired gravely.

“By a river bank… I think I got washed up here.”

“If your cell’s on, Noct, then I could zero in on your location. Pure genius!” Prompto triumphed before regretfully adding, “But so could those guys if they’re looking to finish the job…”

“Just find him quickly, Prompto. I don’t want to see my prince exposed to any more surprises.” Ignis snapped. “Not until I get there…” His wrath dripped like poison in the promise.

“Stay where you are. We’ll get you.” Gladiolus affirmed.

A silent pause.

“Highness, I implore you to keep talking to us.”

“Let me rest…” Noctis didn’t realize how drowsily he was until he fought to keep his eyes open.

“Hah. Not right now. There’s no way to tell for sure if there are enemies still nearby waiting to get the drop on you.” Gladiolus warned. “Besides, Prompto can’t get a good range of your location yet.”

“I’m trying! Blame the forest, not my tech! There’s barely any signal here. Just where are you at anyway?”

“Can you see anything from where you are?” Ignis asked.

“I don’t think I can handle it when you three are talking all at once.” The voices may have not been all at once but for Noctis’ sluggish and cloudy mind he couldn’t differentiate them. At least they were keeping him awake. All he wanted to do was sleep. He couldn’t move even if his assassins found him before his companions did. He was a sitting chocobro.

“I’ll keep your boyfriend and baby bird from going berserk. They’re going to shut up. Right, you two?” Gladiolus didn’t pause at the end of his question to hear the two men consent to it. “I need you to talk to just me, Noct.”

“Okay… I’ll try.” He replied, groggy from the pain and lack of sleep.

“Stay with me! I’ve seen people in worse shape before. I know you can handle it.”

“Yeah.”

“Good. We’ll get to you as fast as we can. Right now, tell me how injured you are. Don’t leave anything out. Now’s not the time to play tough guy. All right, take a good look at yourself and tell me the damage.”

“I’m not doing so great. I can barely move and it hurts breathe. One of them snapped my arm in half at the elbow. My bones aren’t showing so that must be good.”

“Must be a fracture then… Look, I’m going to have you set it back yourself since you got one good hand there. Find something to bite down on. I won’t lie to you that it won’t hurt, but only for a second.”

Noctis found a sturdy branch beside him. He couldn’t believe that Gladiolus was talking him into it. But one glance at his limp arm, it was all the more reason to go through it. He’s seen Gladiolus set his own bones back before. “Got it.”

“Relax and it’ll be over before you know it. Breathe, grit your teeth, and pull all in one motion.”

The pain was so intense that Noctis nearly passed out from the pain. Did he do it correctly? It felt like he was breaking the bone further. The branch snapped in half from the pressure. Great. He bitterly spat them out and hoped he didn’t get splinters on his tongue to add to the list of how shitty he felt.

“Highness? Highness! Gladio, what did you just tell him to do?”

“That sound you just heard means the prince just popped his arm setting cherry just right. Good job, princess.”

“Don’t envy you one bit, buddy.” Prompto somberly added.

It didn’t take much time after that for the three to find him. Noctis mentally thanked Etro for that. For all the times he had been with his friends, never had he been happier to see them. Ignis dashed over to his prince’s side and took a knee.

“I know this hurts, but you have to stay awake.” Ignis tentatively cupped Noctis’ face in his gloved hands. “Stay with me, Noctis.”

Tears pooled down his cheeks without Noctis’ cognizance until Ignis was wiping at them gently with his thumbs.

-

Darkness pervaded Noctis’ vision and he fought it to focus solely on Ignis’ face and the constricting grip the advisor had on his hand.

“Surely we have something to dull the pain!” Ignis’ frantic plea was distant. He had been arguing with Gladiolus and expressed disbelief with the sentinel’s field medical training. He also barked at the gunslinger for not restraining the prince completely.The advisor swiveled down at Noctis and the last thing the prince heard was Ignis crying out his name. Ignis could have broken all the fragile bones in his hand, but Noctis would have not felt it.

Ignis did not leave Noctis’ side. For how long that was, the prince could only imagine from the advisor’s wrinkled and disorganized appearance and any guess would have answered that question.

Disoriented cobalt eyes met with bleary, bloodshot viridian ones. Noctis noted that the glasses that the advisor was rarely seen without were missing from his face. Never had he envisioned Ignis beside him and in such disarray.

“Is this heaven or am I dreaming?” The prince’s hoarse voice grated his ears.

Ignis stared back incredulously and took the prince into his arms. Their bodies melded together into the make-shift cot.

“Ow!” The prince yelped. Fire surged in his ribs. That answered his question. There was no pain in heaven or dreams. “Ignis!”

Ignis quickly removed himself and awkwardly tapped at his temple, a gesture that he normally made had he been adjusting his glasses by the hinge. “My apologies.” He decisively patted the prince’s uninjured arm and brought his hands to his lap, his lip quivered as he spoke. “I— We didn’t know when you would wake up…”

Noctis lifted his uninjured arm that wasn’t confined to a sling. “Come here.” Waving his fingers and giving him an assuring smile, he reminded, “Gently, this time.”

Ignis laid a chaste kiss on the center of prince’s forehead before tenderly enveloping himself in the embrace. “I thought I lost you…” He said as he buried his nose into the prince’s neck.

Noctis laughed before hissing at ribs seizing up on him again. Ignis tried to pull away again, but the prince didn’t allow him. “I’m still here. Crisis averted.” A peculiar odor filtered into Noctis’ awakened senses. One of sweat mingled with a biting, acidic scent. “Hey Ignis, when was the last time you took a shower?” It wasn’t necessary a bad smell, but it struck the prince humorous that Ignis had gratuitously abandoned his hygiene.

Ignis frowned into Noctis’ shoulder. “And you certainly have the fragrance of water lilies and crisp cotton about you. My favorite.” He retorted sarcastically before chuckling. “I never once criticized your aroma nor have I ever held my nose around your presence. That dip in the river didn’t do you any favors. I’ll see that you get a proper bath. Once your injuries healed a tad, of course.”

“You can get a shower right now. I’m not going anywhere, obviously.” Noctis didn’t feel the need to demonstrate, the advisor had been through enough.

Ignis’ body shook, hesitating. “…In a few minutes, love. I want to hold you in my arms for a while longer.”


End file.
